Baptisia plant named ‘Blueberry Sundae’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Baptisia , ‘Blueberry Sundae’ characterized by its flowers that are blue in color and held on erect flower stems, its densely branched, uniform and upright plant habit, its vigorous growth rate and hardiness in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 8.

Botanical classification: Baptisia hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘Blueberry Sundae’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hybrid Baptisia plant, botanically an interspecific hybrid in origin and known as Baptisia ‘Blueberry Sundae’ and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Blueberry Sundae’. The new cultivar represents a new false indigo, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.

The new invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program in Waseca, Minn. The breeding program was established by the Inventor in 1998 with the goal of developing Baptisia hybrids with unique flower colors and plant habits.

‘Blueberry Sundae’ was derived from an F1 cross made in 2003 between an unnamed plant of Baptisia minor as the female parent and an unnamed plant of Baptisia australis as the male parent. ‘Blueberry Sundae’ was selected in 2007 as a single plant amongst the resulting seed progeny.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stem cuttings in 2008 in Zeeland, Mich. under the direction of the Inventor. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar as observed for five years in Waseca, Minn. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Blueberry Sundae’ from other varieties of Baptisia known to the Inventor.

-   -   1. ‘Blueberry Sundae’ exhibits flowers that are blue in color.     -   2. ‘Blueberry Sundae’ exhibits blue-green foliage.     -   3. ‘Blueberry Sundae’ has a vigorous upright and uniform plant         habit intermediate in size and habit between the parent plants.     -   4. ‘Blueberry Sundae’ is hardy in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 8.         In comparison to the female parent, Baptisia minor, ‘Blueberry         Sundae’ has a larger more vigorous growth habit and produces         more foliage and flower stems. In comparison to the male parent,         Baptisia australis, ‘Blueberry Sundae’ has a more upright,         compact growth habit and greater uniformity. The closest         comparison variety Baptisia australis ‘Big Ben’ (not patented)         has flowers that are more blue-violet in color and matures into         a much larger plant in height and width. Another comparison         plant is Baptisia ‘Twilite’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,011). Also         an interspecific hybrid, it produces violet-purple colored         flowers and reaches a much larger plant size in height and         width. An additional comparison plant is Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’         (not patented); an interspecific hybrid having violet colored         flowers, charcoal gray stems, and an upright habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Baptisia. The photographs were taken of plants and plant parts of a plant five years in age as grown outdoors in Waseca, Minn.

The photograph in FIG. 1 is a view of a plant of ‘Blueberry Sundae’ in bloom and illustrates the uniform habit and the abundance of flowers stems.

The photograph in FIG. 2 is of a close-up view of the flowers of ‘Blueberry Sundae’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized. The color values cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Baptisia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of 5 year-old plants of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in a trial plot in Waseca, Minn. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—Early June through early July in Waseca,             Minn. (typically June 8th through June 12th).         -   Plant habit.—Vase-shaped with flower racemes partially in             foliage.         -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 83 cm width and 81 cm in             height.         -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 8.         -   Culture.—Prefers well-drained to medium moist soils in full             sun, tolerant to lean soils and drought.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility to diseases or pests             has been observed.         -   Root description.—Deep rooted, fibrous. -   Growth and propagation:     -   -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings is the preferred method, tissue             culture is also possible.         -   Growth rate.—Vigorous. -   Stem description:     -   -   Branch habit.—Densely branched; average of 40 branches with             an average of 4 secondary branches, and 2 tertiary branches.         -   Stem size.—Main stem; an average of 79 cm (including             peduncle) in length and 6 mm in width (9 mm at base),             secondary; average of 33.5 cm in length and 5 mm, tertiary;             an average of 5.5 cm in length and 2 mm in width.         -   Stem shape.—Oval.         -   Stem color.—144A to 144B.         -   Stem surface.—Hairless, satiny but slightly glaucous. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Fan-shaped in overall outline.         -   Leaf division.—3-palmate.         -   Leaf internode.—Foliage begins 33 cm from base, an average             of 7 cm on main stem and an average of 5.5 cm on secondary             branches.         -   Leaf size.—About 4.8 cm in length and 6.9 cm in width.         -   Leaf quantity.—About 35 per stem.         -   Leaflet shape.—Oblanceolate.         -   Leaflet base.—Cuneate.         -   Leaflet apex.—Acute.         -   Leaflet venation.—Pinnate pattern, not conspicuous, color             matches leaflet color on the upper and lower surface with             the mid rib on lower surface 146D.         -   Leaflet margins.—Entire.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Leaflet surface.—Glabrous and slightly glaucous on upper and             lower surface.         -   Leaflet color.—Newly expanded and mature; upper and lower             surface 137A.         -   Leaflet size.—An average of 4.8 cm in length and 1.5 cm in             width.         -   Petioles.—Average of 8 mm in length and 2 mm in width,             clasping to stem at mature nodes, 146D in color, surface is             glabrous and satiny.         -   Stipules.—On basal 2 to 3 nodes prior to leaves; single,             ovate in shape, about 3.5 cm in length and 2.9 cm in width,             truncate base, 2-notched apex, 146D in color, on leave             nodes; 2, lanceolate in shape, base is truncate to stem,             apex is acuminate, average of 2.4 cm in length and 5 mm in             width on mature leaves, 137B in color on upper surface and             137C on lower surface. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal racemes of pea-like flowers on             main and secondary branches, blooms from the base to the             apex.         -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 23 cm in length and 3 cm in             width in mid section.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—3 to 4 weeks.         -   Flower size.—About 2.5 cm in depth and about 1.8 cm in             diameter.         -   Flower fragrance.—Faint.         -   Flower number per inflorescence.—About 45 to 50.         -   Peduncle.—Oval in shape, up to 23 cm in length and an             average of 3 mm in width, 144A to 144B in color, surface is             glabrous, satiny and slightly glaucous, flower internode             length averages from whorls to about 5 mm.         -   Petiole.—About 6 mm cm in length, about 1.5 mm in width,             oval in shape, color a blend of 137B and N137B, glabrous and             satiny surface.         -   Flower buds.—Kidney-shaped, about 2.4 cm in length and 1 cm             in width, color of petal portion is a blend of 93A and 93C             with veins 93A and a sliver of exposed keel portion 163C,             calyx portion same as open flowers.         -   Flower type.—Papilionaceous, held at about a 45° angle.         -   Calyx.—Campanulate, about 1 cm in length and 7 mm in             diameter, surface is glabrous and satiny, 144A in color             suffused with N186A to 147A, persistent.         -   Sepals.—5, fused with the exception of apex of each, free             portion is triangular in shape 4 mm in width and 4 mm in             depth with an acute apex, 144A in color suffused with N186A             to 147A.         -   Corolla features.—Papilionaceous (4 segments) with a keel, a             banner and 2 lateral wings, lateral wings; obelliptic in             shape, about 2.2 cm in length and 9 mm in width, color on             outer surface and the inner surface is a blend of 93A and             93B with the basal portion 149D, rounded apex, oblique base,             keel; only partially visible, comprised of 2 segments             surrounding reproductive organs, oblong (slightly oblique)             in shape with rounded apex and oblique base, 2.3 cm in             length and 9 mm in width, upper surface and lower surface             are 145D in color, banner; orbicular in shape, about 1.9 cm             in length and 2 cm in width, upper and lower surface is a             blend of 93A and 93B with the basal portion 149C to 149D and             mid section marked with 192A, apex is rounded with a single             notch, surface is glabrous on all sections.         -   Receptacle.—Disk-shaped, gelatinous, 144A in color, about 3             mm in diameter and 1.2 mm in depth. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, about 2 cm in length, 1.5 mm in width;             style is 144B in color and 9 mm in length; stigma minute,             too small to read color, ovary is superior with a stipe,             144A in color, 7 mm in length and 1.5 mm in width; stipe is             144B in color, 3 mm in length and 1.5 mm in width.         -   Androcoecium.—10 stamens, not united, 2.5 cm in length and 1             mm in width; filament is 2.1 cm in length, 1 mm in width and             145C in color; anther is dorsifixed, 1.5 mm in length and             width and 199C in color, pollen is abundant and 17A in             color.         -   Fruit.—An inflated pod, technically a legume, 12 to 18             produced per inflorescence (open-pollinated) but potentially             an average of 35 to 50 could be produced if all flowers were             pollinated, globose-oblongoid in shape, 38 mm in length by             13 to 18 mm in width; each with a short beak approx. 2 to 3             mm in length, color of outer surface when mature in             September is a color between 201A and 202A, color of inner             surface 197A to 199A, walls 1.5 mm and hard at maturity,             seed; 10 to 18 per fruit (open-pollinated), 165B in color,             oval with the hilum side more or less straight, seed             compressed to flattish, 4.5 mm in length, 3 mm in width and             2 mm in thickness. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Baptisia plant named ‘Blueberry Sundae’ as herein illustrated and described. 